US soldier Bowe Bergdahl freed by Taliban after being held for five years

Elisabeth Bumiller

Washington: For five years Robert Bergdahl waged a father's war for the return of his soldier son.

He accused the Obama administration of stalling talks for his release. He made his own contact with the Taliban to try to find out more. He pressured the US State Department and Pentagon during frequent trips to Washington, where in 2012 he spoke in anguish to a crowd of 100,000 on US holiday of Memorial Day.

A video released by the Taliban in 2010 containing footage of Bowe Bergdahl. Photo: AP

"Men don't come back from this, you know,'' Robert Bergdahl bleakly warned his son at Christmas 2008, just before he was deployed.

On Saturday, in a statement from both of the sergeant's parents, Robert Bergdahl and his wife, Jani – written after President Barack Obama telephoned to tell them of their son's release – the tone had changed: "We were so joyful and relieved when President Obama called us today to give us the news that Bowe is finally coming home!'' they wrote. "We cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son.''

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Amid jubilation Saturday over his release, senior Republicans in Congress said they were troubled by the means by which it was accomplished, which was a deal to release five Afghan detainees from the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"Trading five senior Taliban leaders from detention in Guantanamo Bay for Bergdahl's release may have consequences for the rest of our forces and all Americans. Our terrorist adversaries now have a strong incentive to capture Americans," House Armed Services committee chairman Howard McKeon and the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, said in a joint statement.

Accompanied by President Barack Obama, Jani and Robert Bergdahl speak about their son's release. Photo: AP

It was not yet known when Bergdahl would be coming back to the US. But his hometown of Hailey, Idaho, a community of some 6000 people, greeted the news with celebration.

The town had been planning a vigil for June 28 as part of a longrunning ''Bring Bowe Back'' campaign. That celebration would now go ahead but will be called ''Bowe is Home 2014'', according to the organiser, Debbie Glascock.

"Once we heard about it. We were pretty excited," said 17-year-old Real Weatherly. "We want to let people know he's free."

Bergdahl's future in the Army remains unclear, after his captivity. But if Bergdahl walked off his post before being kidnapped by the Taliban as the army initially contended, there has been no indication from the military that he will be punished for doing so.

As the soldier's father stood at the president's side in the White House Rose Garden, Robert Bergdahl said his son was having difficulty with English after spending so much time with the Taliban, then said "bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim,'' a common Arabic phrase meaning "in the name of God, most gracious, most compassionate," then spoke what appeared to be a few words of Pashto, a language of Afghanistan.

Hours earlier on Saturday, while Bowe Bergdahl was on a US military helicopter after his release, he wrote on a paper plate with a pen – because the noise was so loud – "S.F.?" for Special Forces, seeking to find out who was taking him away.

The men on the helicopter yelled back, "Yes, we've been looking for you a long time."

At which point, according to a senior defence official, Bergdahl broke down crying.